Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services and Climate Change

Goal: clarify the role of biodiversity for ecosystem services and assist in its sustainable use

The aim of our research is to clarify the role of structural and/or functional biodiversity for the capacity of ecosystems to provide multiple services for human society under conditions of climate change. A second, policy-oriented aim is to help identify land use and nature conservation strategies that sustain ecosystem services. Both aims will be pursued for selected ecosystems, services and regions (see more detailed motivation, goals and rationale here).

Specific research topics

• Biotic risks of climate change in different ecosystems
• Macro-scale risks of land use and climate change for tropical forests
  
• Trade-offs of land use based mitigation
• Adaptation of nature conservation policy to climate change impacts

Training and outreach activities

• ALTER-Net Summer schools "Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services" (Peyresq, France)

Recent publications

• see separate page

Posters

• The Future of Amazonian Rainforests
• The LPJmL Dynamic Global Vegetation Model